How do you choose a flagship?

[arbaily]

I have a quick question for everyone. How do you choose a flagship for a fleet that contains both carriers and warships. I'm split between both choices. I think it would be a carrier because it would have better command abilities but then my flagship would sit at the back of the fleet and do "nothing". If I choose a warship then it'll get into the fight but then runs the risk of getting sunk or badly beaten up. I just don't know what to choose.

 

[Joe_Dracos]

Traditionally, all ships had the same command capabilities. Radios were quite easy to install and they more or less needed several officers with powerful banoculars to watch the battle unfold before them (or cross there fingers and pray real hard). It was a matter of prestige that decided what ship you chose. It wasn't till the last 20 or 30 years when command facilities were extremely complicated and live information was being fed to the flag officer so decisions could be made on the fly.

 

[Wishbone]

My advice would be:
1) choose a ship that has acted as a flagship historicly (if you have more than one, just pick the most sensible one for the scenario)

or 2) pick the one you like the most!

Just bear in mind that in all navies the admirals had flagships in the battleships for preference until very late in the war. The yanks only had their task force commanders in carriers because some git sank all their battleships at Pearl.

 

[DM]

Traditionally, all ships had the same command capabilities.

Not necessarily true. Flag facilities generally required extensive additional command spaces and accommodation for the staff, which could number a hundred or so above the ships' nortmal complement. Battleships and cruisers were often heavily modified in order to embark an admiral and his staff. Battleships were often designed with margins to allow them to be used as flagships if required. If anything, the design of modern warships has made it easier to embark flag rank officers with fewer additional personnel and staff (the RN's T22 frigates often act as flagships, and do so with an all up crew - ships staff plus flag staff - only three times a typical WW2 admiral's entourage)

 

[Joe_Dracos]

On the flip side, the Halifax class frigates (criminally under armed) have almost zero command facilities. NATO designates them as the command vessel for escort task forces (mostly cause they aren't useful for much else) :?